Noting the recent arrest of a 20 year old man for allegations of abusing and assaulting those in his care in a Mt Druitt respite house for the last 10 months between July 2019 to April 2020 (ABC news - Sarah Thomas 2 May 2020) is shocking and highlights the need for cameras in respite houses and accommodation places, even day programmes for those with disabilities who cannot speak up for themselves, cameras to prove what is happening and to catch these people who harm our vulnerable children. Some of these vulnerable this careworker abused were actually children 10 years and under.
The carer was arrested and charged, only because this 20 year old young man, was stupid enough to film it on camera, what he was doing to disability adults and two children aged 10 and 5 years old was he caught by the police.
Charged at Parramatta police station with 11 counts of recording intimate images without consent of the children one under 10 years old,producing and possessing child abuse material, two counts of common assault, as well as intentionally touching a children sexually under 10 years old.
As I said before when I made complaint to the police in my area about my son, James, who is nonverbal, being hurt, the consensus among the police and lawyers was 'no cameras no crime' and police refused to investigate the incident fully that occurred to my nonverbal son... which I believe was common assault, and also refusing to question the worker involved with my son's injury...when I made complaints about the police to the inspectors and the Commissioner of Police - they would not budge or investigate and refused to go further... Looking at past research the justice system does not show interest in crime against disability person's no matter how much evidence is presented, however, camera evidence cannot be ignored.
and so we the parents, are live with the knowledge that those who abuse and hurt the young - those with disability and who are our vulnerable children- those abusers are getting away with it.
The young man arrested now for multiple abuses at Mt Duritt respite house, thought he could get away with it which he did for a long time - the sexual and intimate abuse of two children he filmed at the same time, and he abused and filmed five residents in his care using physical and verbal abuse.. he did get away with it for 10 months!
If there had been cameras in the respite house then the worker, he would have been caught sooner...
where were the other workers? Probably too scared to speak up for fear of bullying or losing their jobs... thank God for the Surry Hills Police in Sydney, with their strike force Hendra, getting onto this and investigating it properly...all kudos to you... it is a comfort to the parents to know you cared enough to do the investigating...
now the parents of these vulnerable people have to live with the trauma and despair of knowing their children young or old were harmed...
the heartbreak is real... my heart goes out to you you did your best to look after your child and its not your fault, do not blame yourself - put the blame where it lies - on the workers and on the house and those involved.... and after the trauma which never really leaves you, but burns you... it's good to get angry and fight for your child... and it is right for you to get angry...because what happened was wrong!
I have had to learn to stand up more which is why I did this petition as the disability and NDIS system is not helping our young or adult vulnerable children have protection when they are in care. Basically they are not completely safe.
Noted that in 2017 "the Australian Government argued against a Royal Commission inquiry stateing that the NDIS Quality and Safety Commission framework was enough to protect those with disabilities from abuse and violence...the article notes however,
The Framework will not address the multiple forms of violence and abuse perpetrated against people with disability across the broad circumstances and settings in which it occurs.
The Framework also does not address, nor hold people and systems to account for past injustices. " (Disabled Persons Organization Australia 2018)